Simplest Goodbye
by Nobdy'sMelody
Summary: what if Hunny was sick? Really sick? What if Hunny had to say goodbye?
1. The Story

**Haruhi POV**

I remember how it all started.

_"Takashi?" Hunny-sempai rubbed his eyes. Mori-sempai turned to the small Loli boy. "Takashi, it hurts." Hunny crawled into Mori's lap, curling up in fetal position, clutching Usa-chan in one arm and Mori's uniform in his other palm. Mori's hand found Hunny's lower back and rubbed soothing circles over it._

_ "There, Mitsukni?"_

_ "Mmhm," Hunny whimpered. I looked to Hikaru, sitting on my right, raising my eyebrows. He looked just as confused as I did._

_ "What's wrong, sempai?" Tamaki-sempai leaned towards the Loli boy._

_ "It hurts," Hunny sobbed again. _

_ "Perhaps I should call a doctor?" asked Kyoya-sempai as he looked up from his computer screen. Mori-sempai nodded, his hand slipping up the back of Hunny's jacket, under his shirt, but not before I noticed the bruising on the cake-loving senior's back._

I'll never forget those words, falling from Tamaki's shaking lips as he addressed the room consisting of the Host Club and our customers:

_"Hunny-sempai has __Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia."_

I never thought it would come to this.

Hunny is lying in a hospital bed, Mori lying beside him, never leaving his side like the loyal friend he is. Hunny's brother, Chika, sits on Hunny's left, biting his lip and fidgeting with his glasses.

Hunny's face is rather gaunt. No more mountains of cake for him. All of his golden hair is gone, and his lush eyelashes have fallen out. But his smile is still there, and his brown eyes still hold such a happiness that I can almost believe we are back in Music Room 3, not the hospital.

"Chika-chan," Hunny turns to his brother. "You've become so strong. And, guess what, Chika-chan? You get to be the Haninozuka heir now! And you'll be so good, such a strong leader."

"No, I won't need to be; You will, Mitsukni-"

Hunny shushes his brother, "No, Chika-chan. You are the Haninozuka heir now." He leans in close and whispers, "I want you to give Usa-chan to Takashi, okay?"

Chika nods sadly and sits back. "Haru-chan," Hunny calls me forward.

"Yeah, sempai?"

"You're such a smart and pretty girl, Haru-chan," Hunny smiles up at me. "But you need to think with your heart, and stop thinking with your head."

I nod as he calls, "Hika-chan."

Hikaru steps forward, letting go of Kaoru's hand. "Hika-chan, you're getting so much better at controlling your emotions. But, remember, you have to tell people how you feel or they'll never know."

"I know, sempai," Hikaru smiles, teary.

"Kao-chan." Hunny's voice is getting weaker.

"Yes?"

"Kao-chan, you're so independent now. I remember when you could not bear to be away from Hika-chan for five seconds. And, now, you're your own person."

"Kyo-chan," Hunny giggles breathlessly, "you're so smart. Thank you for buying all my cake. You're a great friend."

Kyoya moves out of the way until there is one person left standing.

"Tama-chan," Hunny smiles. "Thank you for teaching me that it's okay to be myself. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have all these great friends. All I can say is thank you."

Hunny yawns, his big eyes fluttering. "I'm tired," he says, curling into Mori's body. He snuggles closer to his quiet cousin, who wraps the Loli boy up in his strong arms and hugs him to his chest. Hunny's head pillows on Mori's chest, Usa-chan held tight to his own. He clutches lightly at Mori's shirt, eyes closing, breathing his simplest goodbye:

"I love you, Takashi."

**Takashi POV**

Mitsukni died that night. I really wish I could say he made some miraculous recovery, but he didn't. He just stopped breathing.

I saw his little, bird-like shoulders stop moving. I stopped feeling the rise and fall of his chest against mine. My heart stopped at the same time his did, but mine began beating again. My arms shook as I gripped his body tighter, as if I could transfer my heartbeat to him. My eyes filled with tears.

"Oh," Haruhi choked, her breathing hitching as she noticed my abrupt change. Tears flowed freely from her big eyes and she fell against Hikaru, who pulled her to his chest and held her as she cried openly, silent tears falling from his eyes.

Kaoru pillowed his head on Hikaru's shoulder that Haruhi was not crying on. Tamaki dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders shaking. Kyoya turned his face away, but his hands were shaking uncontrollably. Chika ran from the room.

I kissed Mitsukni's forehead, a tear finally falling from my eye, touching my cousin's skin, hitting his cheek, rolling down as if it were his own tear. Nevertheless, he was smiling in his peaceful, permanent sleep.

"I love you, Mitsukni."

**I know this is **_**really **_**depressing, but I've had it in my head for a while and I had to get it down. I absolutely **_**love**_** Hunny and I'm often compared to him, which makes me smile, so this is in no way hateful towards him. And Mori's just so great. **

**I do not own Ouran under any circumstances, unfortunately.**

**Please, review. I live for them. I really do. : )**


	2. Letters: A Bit Of A Prequel

Hunny POV

Takashi kissed my forehead. "Read it while I'm gone," he slipped a letter into my hand. I watched him walk away, out of my hospital room.

Opening the envelope, I pulled out the stationary.

_To my favorite cousin, who was always so very little,_

_I'm sorry I let them harm you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from the monster inside your body. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry I didn't take care of you._

_I'm sorry you have to struggle right now. I'm sorry you're fighting an enemy you can't see. I'm sorry you have to be strong for me._

_It was supposed to be the other way around._

_Mitsukni, I apologize._

_You have always been so little, so willing to allow me to hold you and protect you. You have always been so sweet and nice to everyone, so willing to help. You have always been so strong and I've always admired you for that._

_And I love you._

_Takashi._

I gasped as a tear hit my letter. I wiped at my eyes, cuddling Usa-chan to my chest, though this was for comfort, not impressing the ladies at the Host Club.

I would never be at the Host Club ever again.

I folded the letter up again, shoving it into the envelope. I kissed it gently before placing it under my pillow. I lay down and closed my eyes, to wait until Takashi came back.

Mori POV

Mitsukni and I traded letters. As I left with his in my palm, I knew he was reading mine, ever the impatient one.

I sat down in the waiting room, in one of the plush chairs. I unfolded the pink paper that Mitsukni had given me, holding my breath as I read the opening line.

_Takashi-_

_You gave up everything for me- your time, your schoolwork, now Kendo Club and Hosting, your entire life…_

…_just to fight my battles for me every day._

_I'm sorry I couldn't win._

_I'm sorry I've always taken all the attention, even when you were the one who needed it most. Like when we were young and you fell down the stairs and broke a vase, everyone asked if I was alright, because I was so little, while they barely even noticed your arm was bleeding. _

_This is it, Takashi. I'm know I'm going to die now. And I'm okay with it. Really._

_I don't mind my disease killing me. But I won't let kill you, too._

_And don't think any of this is your fault, Takashi. It's not._

_And don't be sorry. There's no shame in dying._

_I love you,_

_Mitsukni._

I wiped my eyes hard. Morinozuka's do not cry. I clutched the letter to my chest, biting my lip. "Mori-sempai?"

I looked up. It was Kyoya. Of course. After all, it was his family's hospital.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'm going to see Mitsukni now."

He nodded in response, strolling off down a hallway. I peeked into Mitsukni's room and smiled. He had his bunny snuggled to his chest, eyes closed, shoulders rising and falling and he breathed evenly in his sleep.

I pulled his blankets up around his shoulder and kissed his forehead:

"Goodnight, Mitsukni."

"Night, Takashi," he whispered, "I love you." My eyes widened. Then, I grinned.

"Love you, too."


	3. Dreams & Days: A Bit Of An Epilouge

Takashi POV

"Takashi!" Mitsukni giggled, throwing his arms out wide. "Look! I'm all better!"

I smiled. How could I help it? He was smiling as if the entire world was at peace and someone had set a large piece of cake in front of him. He threw Usa-chan into the air and caught him again, cuddling the bunny to his chest.

I swung him up into my arms. "Its bed time, Takashi," he grinned. "Will you take me to bed?" I nodded silently, smiling still, and carried the small boy to his bed. His brown eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were pink like he had been outside on a cold day. He leaned up and kissed my forehead, "I love you, Takashi."

Then I woke up. I jolted awake in bed, actually. Throwing my dark blue covers off, I jumped out of bed. My bare feet made a rhythm against the hardwood floors as I ran, ran, ran. My bare feet scrapped against the concrete of the pathway outside that connected the two buildings as I ran, ran, ran. My bare feet skidded to a stop, burning the soles as I slid, and stopped in front of that door.

I opened it, expecting, ready to smile.

But my shoulders slumped and my spirits fell. For Mitsukuni's bed was empty, the bunny-covered blankets perfectly unwrinkled and cold.

My eyes stung and I knew the tears were coming. I threw myself towards the cold bed and buried my face in the pillow that smelled of him- of smiles and cupcakes and sunshine, something perfectly Mitsukuni. I raised my head and say Usa-chan sitting on the bedside table where I'd left him. I reached for the bunny rabbit and cuddled him to my chest.

I fell asleep, hugging a stuffed rabbit and wishing for its owner to come back.

_**Xoxox**_

I sat in class. No one looked at me. No one talked to me. I kept my head down, my face to the floor, staring over the head of Usa-chan, who I had taken to carrying around with me everywhere.

A laughing boy passed me, smiling to one of my classmates. He moved to sit down in the seat beside me. I dropped Usa-chan on my desk, grabbed the back of the boy's shirt, spun him around, and gripped his collar, lifting him off the ground. "Taken."

"Huh?"

"That seat."

"Huh?"

"It's taken."

I dropped him to the floor and left him to skitter away frantically. "What's wrong with that guy? Why couldn't I sit there?"

A classmate out a hand on his shoulder, "You're new, so you don't know, right?"

A different classmate bit her lip, "That's Takashi Morinozuka. His cousin, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, passed away recently, from Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. That was his seat."

"And?"

"When we say recently, we mean, as in, this past weekend," one boy sighed, hanging his head.

"They were so close, inseparable," a girl cooed. "They were always together, little Hunny and his big Mori. They sat together, ate together, talked together. Hunny was the only one who could get Mori to talk, you know."

"He must miss him an awful lot."

_**Xoxox**_

"Welcome, Ladies," Tamaki smiled, taking a young girl's hand and leading her into the room. Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi paid no attention to the hordes of girls, too focused on whether or not Hikaru could stand on his head. Kyoya clicked away at his keyboard, smiling at the passing women.

And, finally, there was me.

Hunny's regulars sat down across from me, with my regulars as usual. The appeared slightly frightened, as if I might grow claws and slash their necks. I smiled painfully and they all sighed.

"Hello."

They grinned at my greeting and a couple brave ones answered, "Hello, Mori."

I nodded to them. The girls carried on conversation without me, occasionally turning to me to smile and giggle and bat their eyelashes. I nodded, clutching Usa-chan tighter to me.

"So…Mori, how are you doing?"

I looked up from studying Usa-chan and answered shortly, "Fine."

"That's good," they chorused.

"Sorry."

"For what?" they asked

"I'm not good at talking."

"That's alright," someone said. "We like you that way."

"Yeah," someone else agreed. "Even when Hunny was here, you didn't spea-" She trailed off as the others shushed her and my back stiffened. My eyes stung.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mori!" the girl exclaimed, biting her lip. I shook my head and tried to smile, but my face felt like it was stretched tight.

"We all miss Hunny, too, you know," another girl whispered.

I sighed heavily, shakily, and looked away. I whispered, "You hardly knew Mitsukuni…"

"Huh?"

I'm sorry to say I exploded on the poor girls. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HIM!" They gasped and jumped back and I jumped up, my heart pounding. The table flipped as my knees hit against it and their tea spilled. But what was their tea compared to the tears spilling from my eyes?

I buried my face against the top of Usa-chan's fuzzy head, my shoulders shaking as I sobbed quietly into the bunny. "You didn't even know him."

_**Xoxox**_

I laid in bed that night, curled up in a ball, in Mitsukuni's bed, cuddling Usa-chan to my chest.

I breathed in and smelled Mitsukuni all around me, even heard his little voice giggling "Takashi!" as I tickled him. However, there was no one in the room with me. Despite that, I whispered:

"Good night, Mitsukuni. I love you."


End file.
